1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to audio visual teaching devices and more particularly to an improved teaching device of the card reader type.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Audio visual teaching devices employing a drive mechanism for moving an information card including a magnetic stripe through a guide channel past a transducing head are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,821,519 and 4,007,547, which are assigned to the Assignee of the present invention. Generally, such machines transport the information card past a record/playback head which reads a soundtrack containing a magnetic recording of selected instructor audio information or questions. The student then attempts to respond to the instructor information in some manner such as answering a recorded question or repeating the information, which may be useful in teaching of a foreign language or teaching the proper pronunciation of a word for building a student's vocabulary in his native language. The student's response is recorded on a second sound track for later comparison by the student or other uses, such as review by the instructor in an attempt to determine a student's progress or achievement.
It has been found that students, particularly those who are using a machine of this type for the first time or those who have a handicap such as stuttering, do not begin to attempt to repeat the instructor's information immediately when the device begins to move the card in the record mode for recording the student's response. In this case, the magnetic recording stripe on the card may be completely past the transducing head before the student has completed his attempted response to the instructor's message. Other prior art machines of this type require a separate drive mechanism for returning the information card to an initial position. Still other audio visual devices of this type have required manual removal of the card from the machine and its replacement in its starting position.